Heat exchangers



5 J. H.DAIY TRY 3,346,041-

HEAT EXCHANGERS 7 Filed March 12, 1965 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l5 |s 1;: i

Oct. 10, 1967 J. H.IDALTRY HEAT sxcnmmmas 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1965" FIG. 3

FIGS

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United States Patent 3,346,041 HEAT EXCHANGERS John Harold Daltry, Rugby, England, assignor to The English Electric Company Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Mar. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 439,254 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 25, 1964, 12,592/64 4 Claims. (Cl. 165-47) This invention relates to heat exchangers.

According to the invention, a heat exchanger has the heat exchanger matrix at least partly supported by a beam which also forms a header for the flow of fluid to or from the matrix.

A heat exchanger assembly in accordance with the invention, for use in conjunction with a cooling tower of the kind in which water is cooled in the heat exchangers by indirect heat exchange with air, will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified plan view of part of the heat exchanger assembly;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation taken in the direction of the arrow II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevation showing part of one heat exchanger of the assembly, taken in the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sections on the lines IV-IV and VV respectively in FIG. 3.

The assembly comprises a number of vertically-mounted heat-exchanger elements 10, each of which is inclined at an angle to the elements adjacent to it when seen in plan as in FIG. 1. Each element comprises an inlet/outlet waterbox 11 at the bottom, from which the heat-exchanger matrix, including water-carrying tubes 12, rises vertically to a return header 13 at the top of the element. Horizontal cooling fins 14 are fitted externally to the tube 12, and each element also includes frame members 15 which interconnect the waterbox 11 and return header 13, and help support the tubes 12.

The waterbox 11 forms a beam of sufiicient strength to support the weight of the element 10 (when full of water) over the span of its supports. Each inlet/outlet water box 11 comprises a flanged U-shaped channel member 16 of curved cross-section, the edges of which are formed with flanges 16A, as is best seen in FIG. 4. A tube plate 17, in which the tubes 12 are secured, is bolted to the flanges 16A across the open side of the U-shaped member 16, and forms the top of the waterbox, providing a rigid beam.

A longitudinal baffle plate 18 is provided along the length of the member 16, which is internally divided thereby into an inlet header 19 and an outlet header 20. Water inlet and outlet casings 21, 22 are provided on the underside of the waterbox 11, and are connected to inlet and outlet ring mains 23, 24 respectively (FIGS. 1 and 2). The outlet casing 22 is shown in more detail in FIG. 5; it has an elongated flange 22A Welded to the member 16, which is joined by a funnel-shaped portion 22B to a circular-section pipe 22C which is welded to the outlet main 24. The interior of the outlet casing 22 communicates with the outlet header through an outlet hole 16B formed in the member 16 on the corresponding side of the bafile plate 18, and a guide plate 25 is fitted inside the casing 22 to reduce the turbulence of water passing through the casing. The inlet casing 21 (not shown in FIGS. 3 to 5) is similar to the outlet casing 22, except that it communicates with the inlet header 19 through an inlet hole similar to the outlet hole 1613 but on the other side of the baflle plate 18, the guide plate 25 in this case being positioned so as to guide the water towards the inlet hole.

Patented Oct. 10, 1967 At right angles to each end of the waterbox 11 there is a vertical end plate 26 to which a horizontal plate 27 is welded. A further vertical plate 29 is inclined to end plate 26, and, together with side plates 30 on each side, forms a vertical enclosed box structure, the plates 29, 30 also being welded to the horizontal plate 27, thus forming a foot at the end of the waterbox. Gusset plates 31 may be welded to plates 26, 27 and to the member 16, and may be inclined with their bases outward. The horizontal plates 27 of the feet are bolted to concrete pillars 28 fixed in the ground: the framework 15 of each heat-exchanger element is also secured to the feet of that element.

Thus the waterbox 11, including the member 16 together with the tube plate 17, is supported by the feet on the concrete pillars 28, and supports the heat exchanger matrix, including the tubes 12, and the framework 15. The cross-section of the member 16 may be semi-circular, or it may be of any other form suitable for giving the strength required to support the weight of the heat-exchanger element.

Heat exchangers such as those described herein are not confined to use in connection with cooling towers, but may be used in any suitable application in which indirect heat exchange between air and another fluid is required. A waterbox similar to that described can also be used for a single-pass heat exchanger, in which case the internal baffle plate 18, and either the inlet casing 21 or outlet casing 22, may be dispensed with, and a suitable connection provided to the header 13.

A load-carrying waterbox or header such as the waterbox 11 need not necessarily be at the bottom of the heat exchanger, but can equally well form the upper header. In such a case the heat-exchanger element may be arranged so as to be suspended from this header.

The member 16 need not be of curved cross-section, but can for example have a rectangular cross-section.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cooling tower comprising at least one heat exchanger for cooling water by indirect heat exchange with air, said heat exchanger having an inlet header, a heat exchange matrix and an outlet header integrally connected together, and through which the water passes in sequence; said cooling tower also comprising a plurality of spaced-apart pillar means fixed in the ground and a spaced-apart pair of structural feet, each said structural foot being secured to and .supported by one of said pillar means; the improvement which comprises a hollow structural beam which forms at least one said header, said hollow structural beam extending between and being supported by said spaced-apart pair of structural feet, said hollow structural beam being of sufficient strength to support, and supporting the entire weight of said heat exchanger over the span of said spaced-apart pair of structural feet, when said heat exchanger is full of water.

2. In'a cooling tower the improvement as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising wall means extending longitudinally within said hollow structural beam and dividing said hollow structural beam internally to form said inlet header and said outlet header; a return header at the end of said heat exchange matrix remote from said hollow structural beam; and at least one frame member which is rigidly attached to said hollow structural beam and is entirely supported thereby, said frame member interconnecting said hollow structural beam and said return header and being connected to said heat exchange matrix.

3. In a cooling tower, the improvement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hollow structural beam is located at the base of said heat exchange matrix.

4. In a cooling tower comprising a plurality of said heat exchangers as claimed in claim 2 and further comprising inlet conduit means for conveying water to each said heat exchanger and outlet conduit means for conveying Water from each said heat exchanger; said inlet conduit means comprising a horizontal inlet ring main and a plurality of inlet casings, one end of each said inlet casing being connected to the said hollow structural beam of one said heat exchanger and being in communication with the said inlet header thereof, the other end of each said inlet casing being connected to said horizontal inlet ring main and being in communication with the interior thereof; said outlet conduit means comprising a horizontal outlet ring main and a plurality of outlet casings, one end of each said outlet casing being connected to the said hollow structural beam of one said heat exchanger and being in communication with the said outlet header thereof, the other end of each said outlet casing being connected to References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1924 Curran 16567 1/1966 Heller et al. 165-176 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner. 

1. IN A COOLING TOWER COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE HEAT EXCHANGER FOR COOLING WATER BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH AIR, SAID HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING AN INLET HEADER, A HEAT EXCHANGE MATRIX AND AN OUTLET HEADER, INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TOGETHER, AND THROUGH WHICH THE WATER PASSES IN SEQUENCE; SAID COOLING TOWER ALSO COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACE-APART PILLAR MEANS FIXED IN THE GROUND AND A SPACED-APART PAIR OF STRUCTURAL FEET, EACH SAID STRUCTURAL FOOT BEING SECURED TO AND SUPPORTED BY ONE OF SAID PILLAR MEANS; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A HOLLOW STRUCTURAL BEAM WHCH FORMS AT LEAST ONE SAID HEADER, SAID HOLLOW STRUCTURAL BEAM EXTENDING BETWEEN AND BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID SPACED-APART PAIR OF STRUCTURAL FEET, SAID HOLLOW STRUCTURAL BEAM BEING OF SUFFCIENT STRENGTH TO SUPPORT, AND SUPPORTING THE ENTIRE WEIGHT OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER OVER THE SPAN OF SAID SPACED-APART PAIR OF STRUCTURAL FEET, WHEN SAID HEAT EXCHANGER IS FULL OF WATER. 